The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of the Cactaceae family. The new variety is named Schlumbergera truncata ‘Gail Glazier’. The inventor is Thomas H. Boyle, a citizen of the United States.
Many varieties of Schlumbergera truncata tend to bloom in the winter in the Northern Hemisphere. Because of their blooming time, there is a large market for these varieties during the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons as a decorative plant. In fact, the common name for these plants is Christmas Cactus.
There are many commercially developed varieties of Christmas Cactus. Patented varieties include: (‘Lavender Doll’ (Cobia, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,690); ‘Christmas Charm’ (Cobia et al., U.S. Plant Pat. No. 4,196); ‘Rudolph’ (Higaki, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,234); ‘Dasher’ (Higaki, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,367); and Rudolph II (Martens, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,487).
For many varieties of the species, bud abscission is a problem: a large portion of the initial buds that form on the plant fall off before they reach full maturity. Furthermore, many cultivars possess the further undesirable characteristic that many of the buds that do set on the plant fail to mature and bloom. Preferred cultivars resist bud abscission, as well as produce buds that have a propensity to mature.
The present variety, ‘Gail Glazier’ was developed at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and is a hybrid obtained by cross pollinating flowers of the commercial variety ‘Think Pink’ with pollen collected from flowers of the commercial variety ‘Eva’.
‘Gail Glazier’ is characterized by its flower color, large flowers, reflexed tepals, and large phylloclades. The flower tepals are predominantly white with a blush of pink at the base and margins of the tepals and the mouth of the tube has a pink ring.
‘Gail Glazier’ resists bud abscission, as well as produces buds that have a propensity to mature. The present variety sets many buds per phylloclade often 2 to 3, many of which reach full maturity and bloom, generally 1 to 2.
This present variety is also outstanding for its propensity to grow tall and upright without too much spreading, thus giving it a dense appearance.
Comparison Table‘Gail Glazier’‘Harmony’ U.S. PlantNew VarietyPat. No. 18,177Mature FlowerSepaloid Series:Tepals arePigmentationR.H.S. 145A (yellow-predominantly R.H.S.Color in Tepalsgreen group)46B (red group) withTube Laminatingthe Perianth tubeSeries: R.H.S. 155Dbeing R.H.S. 68 D(white group)(red-purple group) andTube Forming:the margins of theR.H.S. 73D (red-blades of the perianthpurple group)tube being R.H.S. 46B (red group) and thecentral portions of theblades just above thetube are R.H.S. 155 C(white group).Bud ColorR.H.S. 145 B (yellow-R.H.S 74 B (red-green group)purple grp.)Color of matureR.H.S. 146 A (yellow-R.H.S. 147 A (yellow-phyllocladegreen group)green group)Tube formingLength: 45 mm to 60Length: 45 mm to 53series of tepalsmm. Width: 23 mmmm. Width: 25 mmbase to tipto 35 mm.to 35 mm.dimension: 65to 74 mmSize of FlowersTube forming seriesTube forming series ofof tepals base to tiptepals base to tipdimension: 65 to 74dimension: 50 to 70mmmm‘Prancer’ U.S. Plant‘Maria’ UnpatentedPat. No. 15,051commercial var.Mature FlowerAll series of tepalsR.H.S. 45 C (redPigmentationare predominantlygroup)Color in TepalsR.H.S.74A (red-purple group)Bud ColorR.H.S. 67 A (red-R.H.S. 74 B (red-purple grp.)purple grp.)Color of maturePortions exposed tophyllocladelight are R.H.S. 137B (yellow-greengroup).Shaded portions areR.H.S. 144 B(yellow-green group)Tube formingLength: 45 mm toseries of tepals60 mm. Width: 16base to tipmm to 26 mm.dimension: 65to 74 mmSize of FlowersTube forming seriesof tepals base to tipdimension: 50 to 60mm
In addition, the new variety also possesses the additional commercially desirable characteristics of a strong propensity to branch with minimal pruning, also contributing to its dense appearance.
The inventor has asexually reproduced the new variety at a commercial nursery in Half Moon Bay, Calif. through three successive generations by cuttings, and has found that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed remain firmly fixed.